Sweetmeat-shell.



T. BEGHERER.

SWEETMBAT SHELL.

APPLIGATION FILED JULY 1, 1913.

In veniogv T ereseBec/zerer Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

WZn .ses:

fly Mf/y TERESE BECHERER, 0F PARIS, FRANCE.

SWEETMEAT-SHELL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 1, 1913.

Patented Feb. 3,1914.

Serial No. 776,862.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Tnnnsn BECHERER, a subject of the German Emperor, and resident of Paris, France, have invented a Sweetmeat-Shell, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sweetmeat-shells in the form of a toy-house and so constructed that, when it is attempted to open the glass cover of the sweetmeat-shell proper, the contents are made to disappear from sight.

In the accompanying drawing :--Figure 1 shows a perspective view of the whole apparatus; Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal section through same; Fig. 3 shows a plan, partly in section and with certain parts removed, of Fig. 2, and Figs. 4 and 5 show details on a larger scale.

In carrying out my invention I provide a casing 1 in the form of a house having a roof 2 which is hinged to the walls at 3. One of-the walls has a door 4 adapted to be opened by means of a swing-latch 5 or the like, and immediately behind the door a vertically disposed shaft 6 carrying five levers 7 8, 9, 10 and 11 is so arranged that the topmost of said levers, namely lever 8 normally engages a spring influenced pawl 12 mounted on the corresponding side of the roof 2 thereby keeping the latter closed. The interior of the house 1 is divided into two compartments by a horizontal plate 13, the lower compartment serving to receive the cylindrical sweetmeat-shell 15 which is rotatably mounted on a shaft 14 and provided with a swing cover 16 of glass. This cover 16 when in normal position is directly below a glass plate 17 forming the center portion of the aforesaid plate 13 and hinged to the latter at 18 in such a that a hook 19 on the underside of 17 allows of engagement with it of the lever 9 on the shaft 6 when the door 4 is opened. A knob 20 wheel 25 with which a pawl 26 engages, the latter in turn being loosely mounted on the inner face of a small rope pulley 27. Attached to this pulley is one end of a cord 28 and the other end thereof being connected with the spring in a spring casing 29 in such a manner that the spring tends to turn the pulley 27 and, by means of a pawl 26 and the toothed wheel 25, the shell 15 in the direction of the arrow, Figs. 2 and 4.

The end of the hub of the pulley 27 is of square section 30 in order that a handle or crank may be applied to wind up the spring 1n casing 29.

The end of the shell 15 near the door 4 is provided at 31 with a pin which, with the door 4 in closed position abuts against the lever 10 a rotation of the shell thus being prevented. A. spring 32, Fig. 2, of which one end is fixed at or near the bottom of the casing 1 and the other end to the lowest lever 11 on the shaft 6, has a tendency to press the lever 7 on the same shaft against the door 4.

The action and manipulation of the apparatus is as follows: If the swing latch 5 is operated and the door 4 opened the lever 7 swings outward and the lever 9 is caused to lie under or engage with the hook 19 thereby securely holding the glass lid 17. The lever 10 releases simultaneously the pin 31 on the shell 15 while the lever 8 likewise releases the pawl 12 "so that the roof 2 may be opened. In this way the contents of the shell are rendered visible, the glass lid 17 however still being closed owing to the fact that the lever 9 engages with the hook 19. The user may therefore attempt, in order to gain access to the shell, to move the knob 24' projecting from the plate 13, the movement of the knob 24 causing a displacement in the slot 33 of the slide 24 and a release of the pin 22. This causes the disk 21 and the shell 15 to rotate until the pin 23 abuts against the slide 24, and the contents of the shell have consequently been made to disappear from sight. Upon the return of the slide 24 into the position indicated in the drawings the contents are again made visible since the drum is once more rotated till the pin 22 abuts against the corresponding downwardly projecting member of the slide 24. In order to open the glass plate 17 it is then merely necessary to close the door 4 whereupon the lever 9 releases the hook 19 while lever 10 is made to lie under the pin 31 in which position the shell is now secure and accessible.

If it is desired to close the casing 1 the hinged roof 2 is shut which action results in the reengagement of the pawl 12 with the lever 8.

Having now fully described my said invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In the herein described sweetmeat shell, the combination with a casing in the form of a house having a hinged roof, of a horizontally disposed plate dividing the casing into two compartments, a glass plate hinged to said first plate and forming the center portion thereof, a cylindrical and rotatable shell mounted within the lower compartment, a door in one of the walls of the easing, a vertical rod mounted immediately be hind the door, a. series of levers attached to said rod, one of the levers engaging normally with the aforesaid glass plate, another abutting against the door, a third engaging with a projection on the shell and a fourth lever being under the influence of a spring, and means to rotate and arrest the rotation of the shell, all substantially as and for the purpose specified and shown.

2. In a sweetmeat shell, the combination with a casing in the form of a house, of a plate dividing said easing into two compartments, a cylindrical and rotatable shell mounted in the lower compartment, means to rotate the shell, the said means consisting of a disk rigidly mounted on the axle of the shell and formed at one side into a toothed wheel, a rope pulley also mounted on the said axle, a pawl pivoted to the side of the pulley and adapted to engage with the toothed wheel and a spring mechanism to wind up the pulley, all substantially as described and shown.

3. In a sweetmeat shell, the combination with a casing in the form of a house, of a plate dividing the easing into two compartments, a rotatable and cylindrical shell in the lower part of said casing, means to limit the rotation of the shell, the said means comprisin a disk fixed on the axle of the shell, two diametrical and oppositely arranged pins integral with the disk, and a slide mounted in the aforesaid plate and projecting downwardly to engage with one of the pins at a time, all substantially as described and shown and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

TERESE BECHERER.

Witnesses 7 JOHN BAKER, LUCIEN MEMMINGER.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentl, Washington, D. G. 

